This 1988 film, which qualifies as a masterpiece on the one hand and remarkably shallow on the other, has had its share of tinkering in the home video age, the latest of which is a couple of minor alterations for the initial DVD release. Notably, a vulgar Baby Herman gag at the beginning has been adjusted to try to remove the suggestion that Herman gooses the woman under whose skirt he walks.
Try is the operative word here, because it makes absolutely no difference in effect. Curiously enough, the nervous suits at the Disney organization overall seem careless in their assessment of the level of vulgarity present in some of their movies, which makes their actions and responses inconsistent and, quite often, amusing.
The DVD edition of Who Framed Roger Rabbit? is fairly basic. The new transfer is widescreen, at a 1.85:1 ratio, but is not anamorphic. The source prints for both the English and French versions are clean and free of scratches and speckles, but the transfer itself has leeched some of the contrast and subdued some of the color, leaving the film looking a lot less vibrant and glossy. The production design made fantastic use of both primary and pastel color palettes throughout, contrasting that with the beautiful colors of the Pacific Electric cars, and it's a shame to see this toned down. The image is otherwise clear and free of artifacts, with no shimmering visible in narrow or diagonal lines. Because this is not an anamorphic transfer, it is somewhat softer than it needed to be. The separate French-language print includes French main and end titles, though the opening cartoon sequence retains its English-language elements.
The audio is uninspiring, lacking in dynamic range, even though the track itself is Dolby 5.1. There are directional effects, and dialogue is clear, but there is no punch to it -- the bass is so low-key that some fiddling with EQ is needed. Again, the film does have an excellent soundtrack, but this transfer does not do it justice. The French print sounds about the same overall, but the French voice track is a horrible mess, with dreadful lip-sync. It does have the distinction, however, of having a voice actor playing Eddie Valiant, who sometimes sounds just like
Bob Hoskins. For some people, this film is a must-have, meaning that this tepid release is finding purchasers. For most, however, the recommendation would be to wait and see if Buena Vista decides to do the right thing and create an upgraded and annotated edition. ~ Steven E. McDonald, All Movie Guide